Jeb Bush on issues

John Ellis "Jeb" Bush, a real estate businessman turned two-term Florida governor, is currently fifth in the GOP polls for 2016 presidential hopefuls. 

He speaks fluent Spanish at home, chose to become a Texas Longhorn and is one of the Bush family’s middle children. The son and brother of former U.S. presidents, he has only run for one other elected office before now, and his campaign run thus far has been riddled with conflict with Donald Trump.

Following ABC’s New Hampshire GOP debate, Bush told NBC News' Chuck Todd on Feb. 7 his campaign will continue no matter how he finishes in New Hampshire, the state where he has committed most of his time and campaign resources.

"We'll beat expectations, and we'll be in South Carolina. And I'm excited by that," Bush said on "Meet The Press." "In fact, of the governors at least, I'm the only one that has a national campaign."

Here is where Jeb Bush stands on some of today’s hot topics.

Education: We need Common Core.

The former Florida governor favors the state-initiated Common Core education standards. However, at the same time, he opposes using federal funds to motivate or force states to adopt Common Core.

“All deserve the right to rise. The Common Core standards in language arts and math is important because curriculum is developed in this kind of system where there's common expectations. You'll have 1,000 different flowers blooming as it relates to curriculum. It won't be homogenized; it will be diverse and alive, which is what we need,” Bush said in Des Moines in January. "Raising expectations and having accurate assessments of where kids are is essential for success, and I'm not going to back down on that."

In his two terms as governor of Florida, Bush overhauled the state's education system, introducing a school voucher program and banning the use of race as a factor in university admissions.

Guns: Give gun owners more rights.

In 2005, Governor Bush signed into law the controversial “stand your ground” legislation, which allows residents in Florida to use deadly force when threatened in public.

“I will protect our Second Amendment rights and enforce our laws to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and people with mental illnesses. I have an A+ rating from the NRA and am a lifetime member,” Bush said in January. “Under my leadership, Florida became the most pro-Second Amendment state in the nation. I signed the 'stand your ground' law and championed reciprocity.”

After a shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore., Bush said "stuff happens," but that does not mean gun restrictions should be tightened.

As governor, Bush approved numerous measures that expanded gun owners’ rights, including concealed carry.

Climate change: Climate change is serious, but we can’t confirm how much is caused by humans.

In April 2015, Bush said he was concerned about climate change, but he is more worried about the American economy’s involvement in the matter.

"The climate is changing; I don’t think anybody can argue it’s not. Human activity has contributed to it," Bush said in an email interview with Bloomberg BNA. "But I think it’s appropriate to recognize this and invest in the proper research to find solutions over the long haul but not be alarmists about it.”

The former governor said science is not clear on how much climate change is caused by humans and the U.S. should urge other countries to cut carbon emissions. He has also stressed the role of private industry in addressing the problem.

Immigration: Create a legal status, not a path to citizenship, for undocumented residents. Limit family-related legal immigration.

Last May on CBS’ "Face the Nation," Bush laid out his position on immigration, which establishes a provisional, legal status for those in the country illegally without offering them a path to citizenship.

There should be a path to legal status for those immigrants here illegally if they "work, ... don't break the law, learn English and contribute to society," Bush said on his website. 

“Finding a practical solution to the status of the people who are here illegally today is a nonstarter if our borders are not secure against future illegal immigration,” he said in a statement.

In 2013, Bush supported the path to citizenship in the Senate-passed immigration bill. Bush, whose wife is a naturalized immigrant, told the Club for Growth in February that to gain legal status, undocumented immigrants should pay fines, file taxes and learn English.

In addition, the former governor has said he wants to decrease the number of people allowing immigration to the U.S. due to family relationships and increase the number allowing immigration based on individual skills.

Social issues: Ban most abortions after 20 weeks. Marriage is between a man and a woman.

Bush is personally opposed to gay marriage, but earlier last year he called for people to “respect” same-sex marriages after Florida ruled it legal for gay couples to marry.

“I don't think people need to be discriminated against because they don't share my belief on this, and if [gay] people love their children with all their heart and soul, that should be held up as examples for others to follow because we need it,” Bush said.

However, Bush also embraced Indiana Gov. Mike Pence's recent signing of a controversial religious-freedom law calling it "the right thing" to do.

“I think there needs to be accommodation for someone acting on faith. Religious conscience is a first freedom. It's a powerful part of our Bill of Rights. And, in a big, tolerant country, we should respect the rule of law,” Bush said at a CNN debate last September.

On abortion, Bush supports the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would ban abortion after 20 weeks, making exceptions for the life of the mother, rape or incest.

Islamic State and Iraq: Conjoin U.S. trainers with Iraqi troops.

Bush told CBS’ “Face the Nation” he would embed U.S. military trainers with Iraqi troops and that he believes the Islamic State group can be defeated without the use of American ground troops.

“Are we fighting a war, or is this a law enforcement exercise? Make it a war," Bush said during a recent campaign stop. “Ultimately, the goal is not just taking out ISIS, but creating stability so when we leave, we don't have to come back again.”

At the same time, he has not ruled adding to the 3,000 to 3,500 U.S. troops in Iraq now.

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